Systems of this type are used to manufacture hollow plastic bodies in hollow molds that are held by the mold supports. During the manufacturing process, the hollow molds are filled with plastic powder or sintered powder and heated in the sintering furnace while performing a rotary movement. Following melting and uniform distribution of the powder in the hollow mold, the mold support is delivered by the transport means to the cooling chamber, where the hollow mold is cooled while continuing to perform a rotary movement.
A rotary molding system of this type is known from UK 1 334 331. The system described has cooling chambers arranged in a circle around a rotating transport means, as well as a sintering furnace. The transport means which operates in the manner of a carousel has four arms to receive mold supports, said arms being moved by a rotary motion of the transport means between the individual stations of the manufacturing process. The sintering furnace can be moved in the radial direction to surround one of the mold supports fastened to the arms. During the melting process, the sintering furnace surrounds the mold support on only five sides; a flap on the sintering furnace must remain open during the melting process because of the rigid arm of the transport means, resulting in high energy losses during the melting process.
A rotary mold system is known from EP 01 77 906 A2 in which a plurality of cooling chambers is arranged in a circle around a sintering furnace and in which a tool carrier that can move on rails between the cooling chambers and the sintering furnace serves as the transport means. The system suffers from the disadvantages that it takes up considerable space because of the circular arrangement of the cooling chambers around the sintering furnace, and that the heating chamber must either be made so large that the mold supports together with the transport means can be accepted or that the sintering furnace once again cannot be closed completely, with a portion of the transport means remaining outside.
Another device of this type is known from Wildfeuer, E.: "Rotationsformen.sub.-- Verfahrenstechnische Ubersicht [Rotary Molds.sub.-- An Overview of the Technology Used in the Process]", Plaste und Kautschuk, Vol. 21, No. 3, 1974, pages 203 to 207. In this article, a rotary system with cooling chambers arranged in series with a heating chamber is described, with tool carriers serving as transport means that move on a rail next to the cooling chambers and the heating chamber, and which have telescopic arms for inserting a rotary molding tool into the cooling chambers and/or heating chambers. Here again it is not possible to close the heating chambers completely because of the telescoping arms of the transport means. In addition, a number of transport means is always required that is equal to the number of mold carriers used in the manufacturing process.
The object of the present invention therefore is to provide a rotary molding system that can be made compact and operates with optimum utilization of the energy supplied. In addition the disadvantages described in conjunction with known rotary molding systems should be overcome.